Security and PHP

…Security is an essential skill for all PHP developers to learn.…Hackers can target any server that they can get access to.…But in general, web applications are the most frequently targeted by hackers.…That's because most websites have to be available to the general public.…That makes them visible and accessible.…If we could simply lock the doors to the public,…it sure would make it easier to keep the hackers out.…But we can't do that.…And many modern websites are backed by…databases which collect, report, or store useful data.…Names, addresses, email addresses, credit card…information, date of birth, social security numbers.…

And all that personal data is valuable.…There's a big black market for buying and selling of personal information.…And that makes web applications a juicy target.…PHP applications are an especially juicy target for hackers.…That's because, PHP is a popular language, and it's used worldwide.…It's also used in popular open source applications, like WordPress.…And, just as many developers learn PHP, many hackers know PHP already too.…